Mia, the VP of Sales, could no longer sit still. Faced with mounting pressure, she pushed her team into action. Mike and Randy were paired off, tasked with liaising with the design institute on a key project’s preliminary design.

Mike handled himself with the quiet precision of a seasoned professional. His calm answers and measured tone won the approval of both the lead designer and the chief engineer. When they finally left the meeting room, he exhaled in relief—the trip’s mission was complete.

Randy, however, was a different creature entirely. Nicknamed Bear, not for being simple-minded but for barging into every situation with the chaos of a black bear in a tavern, he was built broad, curly hair in disarray, eyes glittering with mischief.

“Mike,” Randy said, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “Don’t even think about going back to the hotel tonight.”

Mike blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Dinner. Karaoke. Drinks. We’re showing these guys we know how to have fun—and how to get things done.”

“I’m not much of a drinker…”

Randy chuckled, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “First trip with me? Don’t worry, brother. Proposals are only half the battle. Tonight, I’ll open your eyes.”

________________________________________

By nightfall, the city pulsed under neon lights. The private room of the nightclub was awash in shifting purple and blue, haze and rhythm blending into something dreamlike. Electronic beats thumped like a second heartbeat.

The long glass table was an altar of indulgence: fruit platters carved into art, dragon fruit and pomegranate glistening like jewels; bottles of red wine breathing in crystal decanters; rows of sweating beer bottles lined up like soldiers awaiting orders.

Randy sat in the center like a kingpin, a drink in one hand, waving the other to summon hostesses. “Come on, everyone—first round’s on me!”

He slapped Mike on the back. “Relax! Tonight, you’re the star!”

The chief engineer was already lost to the night, clutching a hostess in black lace as if she were the last anchor of his life. On the giant screen, Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You blared, his hoarse voice cracking as he shouted along, arms tightening around the girl while she forced a gentle smile, patting him like a child.

Randy laughed so hard he slapped his thigh. “That’s passion! Cheers for the chief!”

Glasses clinked. Dice rattled. Laughter spilled and tangled with music until the room itself felt drunk.

Mike found himself at the side table, finger-guessing with a hostess in a silver fringe dress.

“Fifteen! Twenty! Fifteen!”

“Ten! Five!”

When his numbers hit, he snapped his fingers. “Beautiful! Drink!”

The girl rolled her eyes, pouted, then drained her glass. The game quickened, the lines between winning and losing blurring into the steady burn of alcohol.

Randy’s whistle cut the air. “Mike, don’t just drink—sing for the lady!” He shoved a microphone into Mike’s hand, one arm curled possessively around a hostess’s waist. “Loser sings and dances for the beauty—dare to play?”

The women giggled, half teasing, half egging them on.

Seizing the moment, Randy leaned toward the chief engineer. “Big Brother, it’s the weekend, we’re honored tonight. From now on, we’ll be counting on your support!” He poured another round, his grin a mask of camaraderie and calculation.

Soon, Randy raised the stakes again. “Truth or Dare. Rules are simple—lose and you either drink two, confess a secret, or kiss the one next to you.” He winked at Mike. “Brother, tonight’s your initiation.”

The room howled with laughter. Perfume and wine thickened the air. Mike felt the silver-dressed girl press closer, her perfume laced with danger. The alcohol fogged his reason; the games pulled him downstream.

Randy leaned in, voice low. “Projects need more than paperwork. We’re adults. Fun is part of the deal.” His grin sharpened. “Look—she’s eyeing you. Three hundred dollars, tomorrow it’s like it never happened. Don’t shortchange yourself.”

Mike looked at the girl. Her gaze was steady, lips curled in a knowing smile.

Just once… just tonight, he heard himself whisper inwardly.

Randy clapped him on the back and swaggered off with another hostess, winking as he disappeared down the hall. Mike, dazed and unmoored, followed.

________________________________________

Morning light sliced through the hotel curtains, harsh and merciless. Mike groaned awake, fragments of the night replaying: Randy’s hand on his shoulder, the girl’s laughter, his own blurred surrender.

It was all too real.

A knock came. Randy, grinning, stood at the door with instant coffee in hand. “Well, buddy? How was it?”

Mike managed only a wry smile.

Randy’s laugh boomed. “Now you’ve had your first taste, we’re equals. Don’t act pure—this is the industry. Keep the clients happy, keep yourself relaxed. That’s how deals move.”

And with a shrug, he launched into talk of reporting procedures, as if nothing had happened.

________________________________________

The project meeting went smoothly, the client’s feedback glowing. Yet Mike carried a weight he couldn’t shake. That night, he sat alone in his dark hotel room, the city’s neon glow slipping through the window like a silent accusation.

His phone buzzed. A message:

“Where are you?”

Just three words, but they lit the dark.

He stared at the screen, then pressed Call.

Lotus’s voice answered, weary but soft. “Hello? Are you back at the hotel?”

“Yes.” His voice was rough. After a pause, he added, “I just… wanted to hear you.”

She chuckled gently. “Then what do you want to hear?”

Her voice flowed like a quiet river, washing away the night’s chaos. Mike leaned back, eyes closed, listening as she spoke about home, about children, about nothing and everything.

He didn’t hang up until late.

As the phone screen went black, he felt grounded for the first time that day—yet also more lost than ever.